Mistakes are there to be learned from. Mercedes wants to do better with the new Citan and the passenger car versions of the T-Class than with the first generation.
With the EQT Concept, Mercedes is presenting a near-series outlook of the T-Class, which will debut in spring 2022. With the T-Class and the electric EQT variant, the Stuttgart-based company is adding a small van to its range for the first time, which, in contrast to the commercial Citan variant, is aimed specifically at private customers. The T-Class and Citan were developed in cooperation with Renault (Kangoo).
With the 4,95 meter long show car, the designers play with the Mercedes trademark, the star. Sparkling stars can be found on the radiator grille, the 21-inch wheels, the panoramic roof and the rear, among other things. White leather seats, white leather inserts on the dashboard and in the doors and a white leather steering wheel stand out in the interior. The MBUX operating system is also on board.
Even if neither the star-filled radiator grille, the bottle-shaped panoramic glass roof, the 21-inch model nor the white leather will make the leap into series production, the concept vehicle should show one thing unmistakably: the EQT is not just relabeled Renault Kangoo. In contrast to the first Citan generation, the Stuttgart-based company attaches great importance to the fact that the German and French variants differ at least in terms of their exterior and interior appearance. EQT and T-Class are designed as Mini-Me of the V-Class and should be able to be equipped with all the comforts that the Mercedes range has to offer.
Of course, the differences between the T-Model and the Kangoo are limited. Aside from design and equipment options, Mercedes uses the technical layout that is also used in the Kangoo. With the EQT, a 75 kW / 102 PS electric motor will provide propulsion, and the 44 kWh battery has a good range of up to 265 kilometers. Mercedes will also use Renault engines for the T-Class models.
The basic form of the van also offers few possibilities for differentiation. Access to the rear is via rear sliding doors on the side. The five-meter version is 5 centimeters longer than the short V-Class and can be ordered as a seven-seater. There will also be an approx. 4,60 meter long version of the EQT and T-Class. This is designed as a five-seater. Mercedes has not yet given any information on trunk volumes.